Take 5: Easy Weeknight Meals, Part 2

Looking for Easy Weeknight Meals, Part 1?  Click here.

1. Morningstar Grillers Original

I eat A LOT of these.  They are quick and easy to make and have a lot of protein for a veggie burger.  I like them enough to eat them plain on a bun, but also like taking the time to cut up some fresh veggies to make it a complete sandwich.  They are also good with cheese and even The Mr. likes to have them from time to time.

2. Chicken Pad Thai

Every once in a while, you need a dinner-from-a-box.  It's homemade, but not really.  It's easy to follow the directions, and you only need to add a few extra ingredients. 

Here's what the box looks like:

Follow the directions and you'll be good to go!

3.  Oven Ham and Cheese Sandwiches

This is another staple from my childhood.  And don't stray from the Kraft Single!  For whatever reason, it's the Kraft Singles that make these sandwiches.  Sure, a fancier, nicer, unprocessed slice of cheese SOUNDS better, but the Kraft Singles melt ever so perfectly and keep these sandwiches the way they should be.  Simply build a ham and cheese sandwich on bun, wrap in foil, and place in the oven.  No need to preheat!  Pop them in, set the oven to 350 degrees, and after 30 minutes, your sandwiches will be ready to eat.

4. Cheese Quesadillas

Butter one side of a large tortilla. Lay it in a large skillet, butter side down, and place over medium heat. Immediately cover surface of tortilla with shredded Mexican-blend cheese. Butter one side of a second tortilla and lay on top of cheese, butter side up. When bottom tortilla has begun to brown and cheese has begun to melt, flip quesadilla to evenly brown the other side. If tortilla is browning too fast and cheese is not melting at the same speed, lower heat.

When cheese is fully melted and tortillas are golden brown, remove from heat, cut into wedges, and serve with taco sauce for dipping.

5. Doctored Up Pasta

In a saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add 1/2 cup chopped onions and 2 teaspoons minced garlic; cook until fragrant and onions are tender. Add 1 jar of your favorite pasta sauce. Let simmer.

Meanwhile, cook pasta according to directions on the box.

Top cooked pasta with sauce and freshly shredded mozzarella cheese; serve with a thick slice of buttery toasted Italian bread.

Take 5: Easy Breakfasts

I know you've heard it before, but breakfast is such an important meal of the day! Few of us have time to cook up a full-fledged breakfast, but there are plenty options out there that give you energy and nutrients without requiring much of your time.

1. Peanut Butter and Banana Wrap

This is my ultimate go-to. I have it at least once a week, every week.

On a whole wheat wrap, spread peanut butter (creamy or crunchy, your choice!) and then top with sliced banana (you'll only need 1/3-1/2 of a banana). Roll up and enjoy!

2. Cottage Cheese with (Homemade) Preserves and (Fresh) Fruit

Cottage cheese has tons of protein, did you know that? I was wary of it for a while. It looks funny, it's called cheese, but you mix it with fruit? Once I got over my hesitations, though, I realized it's a great addition to my line-up!

Top 1 cup of cottage cheese with fruit preserves and/or chopped fresh fruit. We are lucky enough to get homemade preserves from The Mr.'s grandmother, but Smucker's works just as well.

3. Bacon, Egg, and Cheese Sammies

A diner classic. A prefect addition to your weekly line-up.

Scramble two eggs. Top with a slice of cheese and allow to melt. Transfer to a toasted sandwich bun (or croissant, English muffin, or bagel) and top with one crisp bacon slice, halved into two pieces. If your mornings are typically rushed, make this in the evening, refrigerate over night, and pop in the microwave in the morning. It's not quite as good, but it works!

4. Frozen Yoplait Smoothies

These are new on the market. Just blend the frozen chunks of smoothie, fruity goodness with milk and you've got yourself a fresh-tasting smoothie. Here's the Yoplait description. What's pictured is the Mixed Berry flavor.

5. PB & Banana on Toasted English Muffin

I, for one, can't get enough of the peanut butter and banana combination. And before you claim that this is a copy-cat of #1, please note that it's not! First of all, a toasted English muffin offers a slight crunch, and the fact that it's piping hot when you spread the peanut butter makes for an extra creamy, warm delight. And, with this breakfast, you kinda get two for the price of one. :)

Toast an English muffin; spread with peanut butter, and top with sliced banana (about 1/2 of one regular banana).

Take 5: Easy Weeknight Meals

Let's face it... not every night is a cooking night. I consider there to be three different types of nights, actually.

1) Full-blown cooking: A well-balanced meal that I spent a decent amount of time on

2) Half-hearted attempts: What you see here. Still kind of homemade, but surprising easy, and requiring few ingredients.

3) Cook? Me?: Lean Cuisines, Hot Pockets, cereal, etc.

1. BBQ Chicken Sandwiches

Marinate one chicken breast in your favorite BBQ sauce for a few hours, or overnight. Bake, covered, at 350 degrees for one hour. Remove from oven and shred chicken with two forks. Serve on buns with additional BBQ sauce.

2. Easy Chicken Tacos

Marinate one large chicken breast in taco sauce for at least a few hours. Grill or pan fry until fully cooked and no longer pink in the middle.

Serve with taco fixin's: lettuce, shredded cheddar, red onion, diced tomato, taco sauce, sour cream, and guacamole.

3. BBQ Chicken Salads:

Mixed greens topped with thinly sliced red onion, crumbled blue cheese, croutons, sliced BBQ chicken, and tossed in ranch dressing.

Marinate chicken in BBQ sauce for at least 30 minutes, preferably overnight, and then grill. I typically marinate and toss in the freezer so that the term "easy" weeknight meal actually takes effect.

4. Egg & Cheese breakfast sandwiches, with sausage

Scramble 2 eggs (or 3 egg whites) with minced green onion, salt, and pepper. Top with a slice of American cheese (preferably Kraft singles) and allow to melt. Transfer to a bun and serve with sausage or bacon.

5. Hot & Spicy Kung Pao Chicken Seasoning Mix:

Follow directions on the back of the packet. Makes a great meal and is quick and easy!

The finished product:

How I Chop an Onion

How I Chop an Onion

Holiday cooking is right around the corner!

1. Peel the onion and cut off the ends. Cut in half:

2. Slice the onion, one half at a time:

3. Line up the slices:

4. Chop the slices into small pieces:

5. Run your knife through a few extra times to make sure you haven't missed any big chunks. And then use as needed!

A Note From The Little Lady: I love keeping chopped onion in the fridge for as-needed purposes. I throw it in with egg omelets, on salads, or with anything that needs some extra flavor. Plus, it's extremely handy for cooking purposes when I'm trying to throw together dinner quickly and need to saute some onions.

Maximizing Make-Ahead Meals

Maximizing Make-Ahead Meals

My blog has a strong focus on make-ahead meals and freezer meals, but I never considered dedicating a post to how to go about doing it until just recently when a few people, and then a few more different people, prompted me to do so.

I rely on freezer meals every week. The last thing I feel like doing when I get home from work is figuring out what we're going to eat. By preparing meals ahead of time, I can pick something the night before and have very little responsibility besides throwing it in the oven. Give these recipes a try, which I selected in hopes on maximizing ingredients. And then enjoy the benefits!

Here's what we'll be making:

Spinach & Artichoke Lasagna

Spinach- & Cheese-Stuffed Chicken

Rigatoni Surprise

Chicken Enchiladas (halve recipe)

Meatloaf

A dip to freeze for last-minute entertaining

1. First, go shopping for the ingredients. I listed amounts, in case you want to pull from things you already have:

Produce Section:

1 bag fresh spinach (2 handfuls for lasagna, 1 c. for spinach-stuffed chicken)

2 onions (1/2 c. chopped for lasagna, 1 for rigatoni, 1/2 c. for meatloaf)

1 green bell pepper (1/2 for rigatoni, 1/2 for dip)

Garlic - buy it pre-minced in the jar to save time mincing, if desired

Meat Section:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, about 1-1/2 lbs. (2 for spinach-stuffed, 1 large or 2 small for enchiladas)

3 lbs. ground beef (1 lb. for rigatoni, 2 lb. for meatloaf)

Bacon (4 strips for meatloaf, 2-3 strips for dip)

Dairy Section:

Cottage or Ricotta cheese (1 c. for lasagna)

small container Egg Beaters (1/4 c. for lasagna)

Eggs (2 for meatloaf)

2 c. bag shredded Parmesan cheese (1/2 c. for lasagna, 1/4 c. for spinach-stuffed, 1/2 c. for dip)

2 c. bag shredded mozzarella cheese (1/4 c. for spinach-stuffed, 1/2 c. for dip)

4 c. bag shredded cheddar cheese (1 c. for rigatoni, 1-1/2 c. for enchiladas, 1 c. for meatloaf, 1/2 c. for dip)

16 oz. container sour cream (1/4 c. for spinach-stuffed, 1/3 c. for rigatoni, 1/2 c. for enchiladas, 1/2-3/4 c. for dip)

Small carton heavy cream (1/3 c. for rigatoni)

Pantry:

Lasagna noodles

1 can/jar marinated artichokes (1/2 c. for lasagna, rest for dip)

Spaghetti sauce (7 oz. for lasagna)

28 can (or two 14 oz. cans) tomato sauce (28 oz. for rigatoni)

1 jar salsa (2/3 c. for rigatoni)

Flour tortillas (6-8 for enchiladas)

1 can cream of chicken soup (1 can for enchiladas)

1 can chicken broth (1 c. for enchiladas)

1 small can diced green chiles (1/2 can for enchiladas, rest for dip)

French onion soup mix, dry (1 packet for meatloaf)

Ketchup (1/3 c. for meatloaf)

Mayo (1/2 c. for dip)

Bread crumbs (3/4 c. for meatloaf)

Tortilla chips (to have on hand for dip)

2. Pick a day shortly thereafter when you can dedicate a few hours to making your meals.

3. Start by cooking the chicken for the enchiladas. Place breast(s) - 1 large or 2 small, about 3/4 lb. - in a baking dish. Cover with water; then cover dish with foil. Place in oven at 350 - it's okay if it's not preheated. Bake for 45-60 minutes, until chicken is cooked through. Set a timer! You'll be busy and I don't want you to forget about it.

4. While chicken is baking, make Spinach- and Cheese-Stuffed Chicken. Follow directions on the recipe's post. When chicken is prepared, wrap individual breast in plastic cling wrap. Then wrap breasts together in foil, writing with a Sharpie marker what the meal is and the cooking directions, i.e. "Spinach- and Cheese-Stuffed Chicken; Bake at 350 for 1 hour." Obviously, you will transfer to a baking dish beforehand. Place in freezer (they say the back - where it's coldest - is best). Your first make-ahead meal is complete!

5. Next up, meatloaf and rigatoni. Place 2 lbs. of ground beef in a bowl, for the meatloaf. Place remaining beef (1 lb.) in a large skillet. Add garlic, onion, and green pepper to skillet and place on stove over medium heat. Stir occasionally, but don't stress yourself out over this. The meat and veggies don't need constant supervision. While rigatoni meat cooks, start boiling water for the pasta (add noodles and cook to package directions when the water begins to boil). While the beef begins to brown and water heats up, follow directions on meatloaf post and add remaining ingredients to the meatloaf bowl. Form into four meatloaves (two different meals!); wrap individually in plastic wrap. I freeze as-is from this point, but if you like labeling, place them in a gallon-size freezer bag and write name and directions on there. Place in the freezer. Your second meal is done!

6. If it's been an hour, remove chicken from oven. You can leave resting in water if you need to, but remove foil so it can begin to cool.

7. Hopefully you were keeping an eye on the beef and pasta. :) Let's finish the rigatoni recipe. Drain any fat from ground beef, if necessary. Add tomato sauce and salsa; season with salt and pepper. Follow the remaining directions from the post; transfer to a baking dish. Because this is a warm dish, allow to cool at room temperature first. Then, cover with foil (don't forget to label!), move to refrigerator for a bit, and finally place in freezer. The quick transition from heat to freezing cold can create condensation on the inside of the foil. Your third meal is done!

8. Wash skillet and saucepan and return to stove. Fill saucepan with water, bring to a boil, and cook lasagna noodles for Spinach & Artichoke Lasagna. Place spinach in skillet and cook down, as directed in post.

9. If chicken is done, cut/shred into bite-size pieces and place in a bowl for enchiladas. In another bowl, place ingredients for lasagna. Follow directions to complete lasagna. Allow to cool at room temp; then cover with foil, label, and move to refrigerator and then freezer.

10. Complete chicken enchiladas. Allow to cool at room temp, and then - you got it - cover, label, and do the fridge-freezer dance.

11. Use some of your leftover ingredients to make an easy dip for an on-hand appetizer. In a bowl, combine:

remaining artichokes (chopped)

remaining green bell pepper (chopped)

2-3 strips of bacon (cooked and crumbled)

1/2 c. shredded Parmesan

1/2 c. shredded cheddar

1/2 c. shredded mozzarella

remaining diced green chiles (drained)

1/2 c. mayonnaise

1/2-3/4 c. sour cream (what looks right, consistency wise; I'm guessing it'll be closer to 3/4 c.)

dash of hot sauce or Worcestershire, if desired

Mix ingredients well and transfer to a pie plate. Cover with foil and freeze. When ready to bake, thaw, remove foil, and bake at 350 for 30 minutes. If frozen, increase baking time to 60 minutes, but leave foil on for first 30 minutes.

12. Did you make it this far? I hope! If you feel worn out, you'll appreciate it when you can pull dinner from the freezer for six different meals, plus an appetizer!

Helpful Hints: Conversions

Helpful Hints: Conversions


Because I still ask myself about these.


1 tablespoon = 3 teaspoons
1/8 cup = 2 tablespoons
1/4 cup = 4 tablespoons
1/2 cup = 8 tablespoons
3/4 cup = 12 tablespoons
1 cup = 16 tablespoons

Liquid:
1 ounce = 2 tablespoons = 6 teaspoons
1 cup = 8 ounces
1 pint = 2 cups = 16 ounces
1 quart = 2 pints = 4 cups = 32 ounces
1 liter = 4.22 cups = 33.81 ounces
1 gallon = 4 quarts = 8 pints = 16 cups = 128 ounces


Metric to U.S.

Capacity
1 militers = 1/5 teaspoon
5 ml = 1 teaspoon
15 ml = 1 tablespoon
34 ml = 1 fluid oz.
100 ml = 3.4 fluid oz.
240 ml = 1 cup
1 liter = 34 fluid oz.
1 liter = 4.2 cups
1 liter = 2.1 pints
1 liter = 1.06 quarts
1 liter = .26 gallon

Weight
1 gram = .035 ounce
100 grams = 3.5 ounces
500 grams = 1.10 pounds
1 kilogram = 2.205 pounds
1 kilogram = 35 oz.

Sources: www.OnlineConversion.com and www.botanical.com

Helpful Hints: Ingredient Substitutions

Helpful Hints: Ingredient Substitutions

What to use if you don't have what you need.

Dairy:

1 c. Whole Milk: 1 c. skim milk + 2 T. melted unsalted butter

1 c. Half-and-Half: 7/8 c. whole milk + 2 T. melted unsalted butter
1/2 c. skim milk + 1/2 c. heavy whipping cream
1/2 c. whole milk + 1/2 c. light cream
1 c. Heavy Whipping Cream: 2/3 c. whole milk + 1/3 c. melted unsalted butter
1 c. Light Whipping Cream: 3/4 c. whole milk + 1/4 c. melted unsalted butter

1 c. Whipping Cream, Whipped = 2 c. thawed whipped topping

1 c. Sour Cream: 1 c. plain yogurt
1 T. lemon juice or vinegar + enough whole milk to make 1 c. (let stand 5-10
minutes.)

1 c. Mascarpone Cheese: 3/4 c. cream cheese beaten with 1/4 c. heavy whipping cream

Baking:

1/2 t. Cream of Tartar: 1/2 t. white vinegar or lemon juice
1 t. Baking Powder: 1/4 t. baking soda + 1/2 t. cream of tartar + 1/4 t. cornstarch
1 t. Arrowroot Starch: 1 T. flour + 1-1/2 t. cornstarch
1 c. Dark Corn Syrup: 3/4 c. light corn syrup + 1/4 c. molasses

1 c. Cake Flour: 3/4 c. all-purpose flour + 2 T. cornstarch
2 c. Pastry Flour: 1-1/3 c. all-purpose flour + 2/3 c. cake flour
1 c. Rice Flour: 1 c. cake or pastry flour
1 c. Whole Wheat Flour: 7/8 c. all-purpose flour + 2 T. wheat germ
1 c. graham flour
1 c. Self-Rising Flour: 1 c. all-purpose flour + 1-1/2 t. baking powder + 1/4 t. salt

Spices & Extracts:

1 T. Fresh Herbs: 1/2-1 t. dried herbs
1 Small Garlic Clove: 1/8 t. garlic powder
1 t. Pumpkin Pie Spice: 1/4 t. nutmeg + 1/4 t. ginger + 1/2 t. cinnamon
1 t. Apple Pie Spice: 1/4 t. nutmeg + 1/4 t. cardamon + 1/2 t. cinnamon
1 t. Allspice: 1/2 t. cinnamon + 1/2 t. ground cloves
1 t. Dry Mustard: 1 T. prepared mustard

Other:

1/2 c. Dry Red Wine or White Wine: 2 T. sherry or port
1 c. Ketchup: 1 c. tomato sauce + 1/2 c. sugar + 2 T. vinegar (for use in cooking)
1 c. Chili Sauce: 1 c. tomato sauce + 1/4 c. brown sugar + 2 T. vinegar + 1/4 t. cinnamon + dash of ground cloves + dash of allspice

Sources: www.JoyOfBaking.com and www.ThatsMyHome.com and www.eCookbooks.net

Helpful Hints: Common Food Equivalents

Helpful Hints: Common Food Equivalents

How much IS this anyway?

Baking:

1 pound brown sugar = 2-1/2 cups
1 pound cube sugar = 96-160 cubes
1 pound granulated sugar = 2 cups
1 pound powdered sugar = 3-1/2 cups

1 stick butter/margarine = 8 oz. = 1/2 cup
1 pound butter/margarine = 4 sticks = 32 oz. = 2 cups

6 oz. package chocolate chips = 1 cup

1 c. marshmallows = 80 miniature = 8 regular
10-1/2 oz. pkg. marshmallows = 5-1/2 c.

1 pound all-purpose = 3-1/2 to 4 cups
1 pound cake flour = 4 to 4 1/2 cups
1 pound graham flour = 3 1/2 cups
1 pound corn meal = 3 cups

1 lb. coconut = 3 c. grated

1 c. pancake batter = 5 medium pancakes (5")

1" vanilla bean, scraped = 1 t. extract

1/4 oz. pkg. active yeast = 2-1/4 t.
4 oz. jar active yeast = 14 T.

Crumbs

4 slices of bread = 1 cup crumbs
23 soda crackers = 1 cup crumbs
38 saltine crackers = 1 cup crumbs
14-15 graham cracker squares = 1 cup crumbs
22 vanilla wafers = 1 cup crumbs
3-4 c. Cornflakes = 1 c. crumbs
12 Oreo cookies = 1 c. crumbs

Pasta:

4 oz. (1 to 1-1/4 cup uncooked macaroni) = 2-1/4 cups cooked macaroni
7 ounces spaghetti = 4 cups cooked spaghetti
16 oz. lasagna = 16-24 noodles
16 oz. manicotti = 10-12 pieces


Cheese:

1/2 pound (8 oz. package) = 2 cups shredded
1 pound shredded cheese = 4 cups
4 ounces crumbled Bleu cheese = 1 cup
1 pound American Cheese = 2-2/3 cup cubed


Eggs & Egg Whites:

1 egg = 4 Tablespoons liquid
4-5 whole eggs = 1 cup
7-9 whites = 1 cup
12-14 yolks = 1 cup
8-10 large egg whites = 1 cup
12-14 large egg yolks = 1 cup


Veggies:

1 lb. red potatoes = 7-9 small = 5-6 medium
1 lb. new potatoes = 9-12 small
1 lb. white potatoes = 3 medium = 2-1/4 c. peeled, diced = 1-3/4 c. mashed

1 lb. tomatoes = 3 medium
4 cups grape tomatoes = about 100, or about 15 grape tomatoes per 1/2 cup

8 green onions chopped = 1 cup
1 medium onion = 1/2 cup chopped
1 large onion = 3/4 to 1 cup chopped

1 lb. asparagus = 16-20 spears = 3 c. trimmed

1 lb. avocados = 2 medium = 1-1/2 c. pulp

1 lb. carrots = 24-36 baby carrots = 5-7 medium carrots

2-3 medium ribs celery = 1 c. sliced or chopped

1 head garlic = 8-15 cloves
1 small clove = 1/2 t. minced = 1/8 t. garlic powder
1 large clove = 1-1/2 t. minced = 1/2 t. garlic powder

1 lb. fresh mushrooms = 2 c. sliced


Fruits:

1 medium lemon = 1 T. grated rind
1 medium lemon = 2-3 T. juice
5-8 medium lemons = 1 cup

1 pint berries = 1-3/4 cups

1 pound bananas = 3 medium = 1-1/3 cups mashed

1 medium apple = about 3/4 to 1 cup chopped
2 medium apples = about 1-1/2 cups
1 large apple = about 1 cup chopped
2 large apples = about 2-1/4 cups chopped

1 lb. peaches or pears = 4 medium = 2 c. peeled, sliced

1 medium pineapple = 2 lbs. = 3 c. chunks/cubes

Meats/Seafood/Etc.:

1 lb. bacon = 10-15 thick slices = 16-24 average slices = 25-30 thin slices
1 lb. cooked bacon = 1 - 1-1/2 c. crumbled bacon
1 lb. cooked ham = 3 c. diced

1 lb. ground beef = 2 c. raw = 12 oz. cooked
5 lb. beef tenderloin = 12-16 servings

5 lb. chicken = 2-1/4 lb. cooked meat
12-18 lb. turkey = 25 servings

2-1/2 lb. lobster = 2 c. cooked meat
1 lb. sea scallops = 30 scallops
1 lb. bay scallops = 75 scallops

Drinks:

1 keg beer = 7-3/4 gallons = 82 (12-oz.) cans
1 pony keg beer = 15-1/2 gallons = 165 (12-oz.) cans

1 lb. ground coffee = 80 T. = 40-50 c. brewed


Sources: http://www.breakfast-and-brunch-recipes.com/
http://southernfood.about.com/library/info/blequiva.htm

Thanksgiving Turkey - Ideas for Leftovers

Thanksgiving Turkey - Ideas for Leftovers

Happy Thanksgiving! Wishing you a wonderful day and weekend of good food, good family/friends, health, safety, and happiness. Here are some recipes I gathered for your Thanksgiving feast leftovers.

Something for breakfast...

From MrBreakfast.com: Maple Sweet Potato Muffins

Something for lunch...

From FoodTV.com: Turkey, Dressing, and Cranberry Panini

Something for dinner...

From Recipezaar.com: Creamy Turkey Tetrazzini

Something to freeze for later...

From Epicurious.com: The Great After-Thanksgiving Turkey Enchiladas

A recipe that incorporates ALL your leftovers...

From RachaelRay.com: Five Layer Turkey Dip

Extra pie crusts as well?

From AllRecipes.com: Turkey Pot Pie

For those who may have overindulged...

From KraftFoods.com: Harvest Salad